An old iPad, back on the shelf as a photo frame

A printed frame that turns a first-generation iPad Air into a digital photo frame, with a white mat around the screen and the charging cable out of sight.

The frame from every side, rendered from the production CAD.

The challenge

An old tablet still has a good screen. Propped on a stand with a cable hanging off it, though, it looks like an old tablet. It had to look like a picture frame from the front, stay powered all day, and keep its buttons within reach.

What we designed

  • A frame, not a case. A rounded border and a white mat that sits tight around the display and covers the camera and home button.
  • No cable in sight. The charging cable runs inside the frame and leaves underneath, behind the screen.
  • Buttons that still work. Flush push-buttons in the frame’s edge press the iPad’s power and volume buttons.
  • A back worth seeing. A patterned lattice lets the iPad breathe, and two legs lean the frame back on the shelf.

The result

  • From the front there is only the picture and the frame: no holes, no cable, no buttons.
  • The frame is larger than the printer, so it is made in sections that screw together into one piece.

Need something like this?

Email us a photo of your device and where it needs to go. We’ll reply with how we’d approach it and a rough quote.

[email protected]